“Start The Conversation” Suicide Awareness Event Saturday Sept. 7

A youth suicide awareness event is taking place this Saturday, September 7th, at the Gillioz Theatre.

“Start the Conversation” will feature both educational talks and music from local artists. Dr. Paul Thomlinson and Dr. Bart Andrews will speak to adults about the things to watch in regards to youths who may be thinking about suicide. They will also give suggestions to adults on how to help a youth that they believe might be considering self-harm or suicide.

The educational part of the seminar will run from 2-5:30 p.m..

“We’ll be talking about signs and symptoms, we’ll be talking about strategies for intervening,” Dr. Thomlinson told KOLR-10. “We’ll be talking about the latest research, about what we know, the best knowledge we have about who dies from suicide and why.”

The concert portion of the event will begin at 7 p.m.. Local bands will play while slides are shown to the audience with resources for youth who may be struggling with issues in life.

Performing will be the Willard High School Chamber Choir, Fishing for Saturday, The Rosy Hips, and Makenna & Brock. Tickets for the concert are free but need to be obtained in advance through the Start The Conversation Website.

Participants in the concert section will also receive a snack voucher.